(Newser)
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Troops have rescued Ecuador's president from a hospital where he had been trapped for over 12 hours by police officers rebelling over benefit cuts. Rafeal Correa, who was tear-gassed and roughed up by rogue cops, described widespread police protests as an attempted coup. He had vowed to leave the hospital "as president or as a corpse," the AP reports.

At least one soldier was shot and injured during the rescue. Police angered at the cuts had earlier taken over barracks and shut down highways and airports as part of a nationwide strike. Some members of the military joined the protests but the head of the armed services pledged his loyalty to Correa. Looting and robberies occurred in major cities due to the absence of police.

This was all a show created to gain more sympathy. Nothing has been fixed. There's no proof he was taken to that hospital or were in that car going out of the hospital. He looked fresh and without a scratch. There were a big screen where we saw QEPD Frolian Jimenez DIED not just shot and injured as you say. The sound equipment was completely installed and there was even big posters of welcoming the President around. It's all a joke and not even well performed.